System and method for supporting ICN-within-IP networking

Abstract

An ICN-over-IP architecture, which supports ICN-dependent IP addresses, is provided as an integrated architecture requiring small changes within the network, utilizing the incrementally introduced ICN-enabled IP routers efficiently where ICN-enabled IP routers are distributed within/across domains and are capable of coordinating among others based on domain or ICN imposed policies. System, devices and methods are provided achieving improved performance with the introduction of additional ICN-enabled IP routers within/across domains, and continuing to perform efficiently by relying on the principles of the current IP forwarding and taking advantage of IP's currently available features.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for information-centric networking within internet protocol networking, comprising:
 a memory storing computer readable instructions; and 
 one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to execute the computer readable instructions to:
 perform operations in an architecture having a producer domain and a consumer domain, the producer domain being separate from the consumer domain, with the producer domain including a producer, one or more routers, and one or more producer domain servers, the operations including operations to:
 assign, as part of a registration, a namespace of the producer to an IP address of a first router residing within the producer domain of the producer; 
 store, as part of the registration to maintain reachability of the producer, a structured data in a registration entry in a memory of one of the producer domain servers disposed in the producer domain, the structured data comprising the namespace, the IP address of the first router, and a producer address of the producer; and 
 distribute to the first router a mapping of the producer address to the namespace of the producer based on the structured data; 
 wherein, if a consumer request for content from a consumer does not include the producer address, the one or more processors executing the computer readable instructions are further configured to:
 set a destination address of the consumer request to an IP address of a second router; 
 if the second router has the mapping, set the destination address to the producer address based on the mapping; 
 if the second router does not have the mapping, set the destination address based on the structured data stored in the memory disposed in the producer domain, and distribute the mapping to the second router; 
 forward the consumer request to an address corresponding to the IP address of the first router based on the mapping; and 
 return the content to the consumer or the second router from the first router or the producer. 
 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors executing the computer readable instructions are further configured to translate a content identifier comprising the namespace to a translated IP address. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the translated IP address comprises an information-centric networking identifier, and an identifier of content. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3 , wherein the identifier of the content is derived by a cryptographic hashing function. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 3 , wherein
 the information-centric networking identifier is a 32-bit identifier; and 
 the identifier of the content is a 96-bit identifier. 
 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 3 , wherein the translated IP address further comprises an identifier of the producer. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 6 , wherein
 the information-centric networking identifier is a 32-bit identifier or 24-bit identifier; 
 the identifier of the producer is a 48-bit identifier; and 
 the identifier of the content is a 48-bit identifier. 
 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 6 , wherein
 the information-centric networking identifier is a 32-bit identifier; 
 the identifier of the producer is a 32-bit identifier; and 
 the identifier of the content is a 64-bit identifier. 
 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors executing the computer readable instructions further are configured to:
 set a destination address of a consumer request for content from a consumer as an address comprising a routing extension header set to an IP address of a second third router; 
 forward the consumer request to the IP address of the first router based on the mapping; and 
 return the content to the consumer or the second third router from the first router or the producer. 
 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , wherein one or more processors executing the computer readable instructions are further configured to assign K-bit hash addresses to names of content using a cryptographic hash function. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 9 , wherein the consumer request forwarded to the IP address of the first router is cached by the first router and retrievable from the first router. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors executing the computer readable instructions are further configured to:
 set a destination address of a consumer request for content from a consumer as a destination address of the producer; 
 forward the consumer request to the destination address of the producer based on the mapping; and 
 return the content to the consumer from the first router or the producer. 
 
     
     
       13. A computer-implemented method for information-centric networking within internet protocol networking, comprising:
 performing operations in an architecture having a producer domain and a consumer domain, the producer domain being separate from the consumer domain, with the producer domain including a producer, one or more routers, and one or more producer domain servers, such that the operations include: 
 assigning, as part of a registration, a namespace of the producer to an IP address of a first router residing within the producer domain of the producer; 
 storing, as part of the registration to maintain reachability of the producer, a structured data in a registration entry in a memory of one of the producer domain servers disposed in the producer domain, the structured data comprising the namespace, the IP address of the first router, and a producer address of the producer; 
 distributing to the first router a mapping of the producer address to the namespace of the producer based on the structured data; 
 setting a destination address of a consumer request, from a consumer, for content to an IP address of a second router if the second router has the mapping, setting the destination address the producer address based on the mapping; 
 if the second router does not have the mapping, setting the destination address based on the structured data stored in the memory, and distributing the mapping to the second router; 
 forwarding the consumer request to an address corresponding to the IP address of the first router based on the mapping; and 
 returning the content to the consumer or the second router from the first router or the producer. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising translating a content identifier comprising the namespace to a translated IP address. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the translated IP address comprises an information-centric networking identifier, and an identifier of content. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the identifier of the content is derived by a cryptographic hashing function. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein
 the information-centric networking identifier is a 32-bit identifier; and 
 the identifier of the content is a 96-bit identifier. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the translated IP address further comprises an identifier of the producer. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein
 the information-centric networking identifier is a 32-bit identifier or 24-bit identifier; 
 the identifier of the producer is a 48-bit identifier; and 
 the identifier of the content is a 48-bit identifier. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein
 the information-centric networking identifier is a 32-bit identifier; 
 the identifier of the producer is a 32-bit identifier; and 
 the identifier of the content is a 64-bit identifier. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising
 caching a consumer request forwarded to the IP address of the first router at the first router for retrieval from the first router. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising
 assigning K-bit hash addresses to names of content using a cryptographic hash function. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 setting a destination address of a consumer request for content from a consumer as an address comprising a routing extension header set to an IP address of a third router; 
 forwarding the consumer request to the IP address of the first router based on the mapping; and 
 returning the content to the consumer or the second third router from the first router or the producer. 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 setting a destination address of a consumer request, from a consumer, for content as a destination address of the producer; 
 forwarding the consumer request to the destination address of the producer based on the mapping; and 
 returning the content to the consumer from the first router or the producer.